Tile-making machine.



W. J. McCRACKEN.

TILE MAKING MACHlNE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 3.1, 1910.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

2 SHEETS.-SHEET 1.-

amemtozo W. J. McCRACKEN.

TILE MAKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3h 1910.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

WILLIAM J. MOCRACKEN, 0F SIOUX CITY, IOWA.

TILE-MAKING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 19145.

Application filed August 31, 1910. Serial No. 579,812.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, IVILLIAM J. Mo- CRACKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Sioux City, in the county of lVoodbury and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tile-Making Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in tile making machines, and particularly to machines for compressing a tile in a mold by a rotary motion of a former.

The object in view is the arrangement in a tile making machine, of means for guiding material into a mold, associated with means for lowering, raising, and rotating a former in the mold for packing and smoothing the tile.

Another object of the invention is the arrangement in a tile making machine, of a mold associated with means for guiding material thereto, and a former arranged to operate therein, and a walking beam arranged to raise and lower the former, the walking beam being formed in such a man ner as to hold the former at the bottom of the mold for a short time notwithstanding that the power applied to the walking beam is continuous.

A still further object of the invention is the arrangement in a tile making machine of a walking beam arranged with a slot therein for accommodating a pin, whereby the walking beam may raise and lower a former associated with the walking beam, the slot in the walkingbeam being formed so as to hold the former at its lowermost position for a short timeupon forming each tile, the walking beam and associated parts being arranged to operate in connection with means for continuously rotating a former.

WVith these and other objects in view the invention comprises certain novel constructions, combinations and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described and claimed.

In, the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a front view of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a fragmentary sectional view through Fig. 2 on line 4- 1. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken approximately on line 55 of Fig. 4Q Fig. 6 is a detail view of the walking beam.

In constructing a tile making machine embodying the invention a suitable framework of any desired kind is-provided for holding the various moving parts properly in position. Rotatably mounted in this framework is a former shaft preferably constructed square so as to freely receive power from a power transmitting means mounted on the frame, which power transmitting means in turn receives power from any suitable source, a clutch being used for throwing on and off power. Connected with the former shaft is a former of any desired kind designed to be raised and lowered by the former shaft, and rotated at the same time so that the former will thoroughly pack and smooth the tile as it passes through the mold. The power transmitting means may consist of any desired means, that shown being a pulley which is rotated, and consequently rotates the former shaft regardless of any vertical movement of said shaft. In order to properly raise and lower the former an operating or radius bar is pivotally mounted on the framework of the machine, and connected with the former shaft and with the power transmitting means so that whenever the power is turned on for rotating the former shaft the same will be raised and lowered properly for moving the former into and out of the mold while the same is being rotated.

In order that the invention may be more clearly understood an embodiment of the same is shown in the accompanying drawings, in which 1 indicates the framework,

and 2 the former shaft, which is preferably constructed square in cross section. A power shaft 3 is provided which has loosely mounted thereon a power pulley 4 designed to receive power from any suitable source, and to transmit the power to shaft 3, through a suitable clutch 5. Shaft 3 has rigidly secured thereto a .power transmitting pulley 6 which transmits power to belt 7 passing over idlers 88, and from thence around driving pulley 9. Driving pulley 9 is located between bearings 10' and 11 so as not to be allowed any vertical movement. In order that the driving pulley 9 may properly transmit power to former shaft 2 the pulley 'idly secured to bearing is provided with a square aperture for snugly.fitting the square shaft 2, but sufficiently loose to permit a free up and down or reciprocatory movement of the shaft. By this construction and arrangement of power transmitting means, former shaft 2 is rotated whenever power is turned on to the machine by clutch 5. At the same time that power is turned on for rotating former shaft 2 power is also transmitted to means for reciprocating shaft 2, so as to move the f0rmer 12 into means comprise a worm 14 rigidly secured to power shaft 3, and meshing with worm gear 15 for properly rotating the same.

Gear 15 is rotatably mounted on shaft 16 supported on the framework 1 by a suitable bracket 17. Pivotally connected at 18 to gear 15 is a link 19 which is also pivoted at 20 to a bracket 21 connected with radius bar 22. The radius bar 22 is formed preferably of two bars so as to straddle bearing block 23. The radius bar 22 is pivotally mounted at 24 in brackets which in turn are rigidly secured to framework 1. By this structure whenever gear wheel 15 makes a complete revolution radius bar 22 moves down and then up, making a complete cycle for moving former 12 into and thenagain out of mold 13. Each of the bars comprising radius bar 22 is provided with a slot 25 extending in the same general direction as the radius bar 22 for part of the distance, and then turning at an angle at 26 so that when the radius bar reaches substantially its lowermost position the continued movement of gear 15 will not cause any movement of former shaft 2, so that the former 12 may rotate a short time at the bottom of mold 13. In order to accomplish this the pins 27 and 28, which are rigmember 23, extend through slots 25 and ride up into the curved portion 26 just before the walking beam reaches its lowermost position. This structure is provided so that the bottom of the tile will be formed as perfectly as the remaining parts. If the former did not remain a short time at the bottom of the mold a short section of the tile would not receive the packing and smoothing which the remaining parts receive, and consequently produce an inferior tile. The bearing member 23 (Figs. 4 and 5) is provided with an annular socket 29 for receiving stop 30. The

stop 30 'is rigidly secured to former shaft 2 by suitable set screws, but bearing member '23 is loosely mounted upon the shaft and has stop 30 loosely journaled therein so'that the shaft may freely rotate and yet bearing member 23 remain stationary. The function of bearing member 23 is to raise former shaft 2. The former shaft 2 is moved downward under the action of gravity when not positively prevented by hearing member 23, though if desired a bearing member, similar and out of mold 13. These to bearing member 23, could be placed above stop 30, and the former shaft 2 forced positively in both directions.

Arranged above mold 13 is a guiding chute or hopper 31 which is arranged to fit over or against the mold 13 so as to guide cement or other material into the mold. A pair of brackets 32 and 33 .are rigidly secured to hopper 31 for holding the hopper properly in position. Passing through brackets 32 and 33 are guiding rods 34 and 35 which guide the hopper in its reciprocatory movement. Surrounding rods 34 and 35 are springs 36 and 37 which bear at one end against brackets 32 and 33, and at the other against adjustable stops 38 and 39. The rods 34 and 35 are held rigidly in position in suitable brackets, which brackets are secured to framework 1. Springs 36 and 37 normally press downward on hopper 31 for holding the same tightly against a mold placed therein. In order to remove the mold it is necessary to raise hopper 31, which is 42. Yoke 42 rests upon stop 30, and has an aperture 43 for accommodating former shaft 2. Aperture 43 is of sufficientsize to permit the free rotation of the former shaft 2 without interference. By this arrangement whenever radius bar 22 raises the former sufficiently high to be removed from the mold 13 the same will cause stop 30 to press against yoke 42 and convey power thereto for raising automatically hopper 31 against the action of springs 36 and 37. The various parts of the machine are adjusted so that hopper 31 is raised when radius bar 22 reaches its highest position. It will be evident that the first movement downward of radius bar 22 will permit hopper 31 to be lowered under the action of springs 36 and 37 so that the hopper 31 is in position for receiving cement or other material in proper time for being packed or compressed into a tile by the former 12. In operation the cement or other material is not placed in the hopper until former 12 has reached its lowermost position, or substantially its lowermost position.

What I claim is:

1. In a tile-making machine, the combination of a frame-work, a former arranged to compress a tile in a suitable mold, a shaft for operating said former, means for rotating said shaft, a walking beam having a loose connection with said shaft for moving the same vertically during the rotation thereof, and designed to hold the former a short time against vertical movement at its lowermost stroke, means for operating said walking beam, a hopper for guiding the material into the mold, a pair of rods connected to said hopper, a yoke carried by said rods, a stop on said shaft for engaging said yoke and raising the hopper out of contact with the mold when the tile has been formed, and resilient means for lowering said hopper when said stop is lowered.

2. In a tile making machine, the combination of a .frame, a vertical shaft slidably mounted on said frame, a former secured to the lower end of said shaft for operating in a suitable mold, means for rotating said shaft and means for automatically raising and loweringsaid shaft Without interrupting the rotation thereof, said means including a walking beam provided with a curved slot at its front end and a connection between said shaft and said curved slot the curvature of said slot being such that vertical movement ofthe rotatable former is automatically delayed for a short time when the former is at the bottom of the mold notwithstanding the continuous operation of the walking beam and shaft. whereby the bottom of the tile is formed as firmly and smoothly as the remaining portion.

3. In a tile-making machine. the combination of a frame-work, a vertical shaft mounted thereon, a former fixed to the lower end of said shaft for operating in a suitabn,

molu, means for rotating said shaft. means for lowering said shaft. holding the same a short time at its lowermost position and again raising the same without interrupting the rotation thereof. a vertically reciprooable hopper for guiding the material into the mold, a pair of rods connected to said hopper,a yoke carried by said rods, a stop on said shaft for engaging said yoke and raising the hopper out of contact with the mold when the shaft has risen to a predetermined position, and'resilient means for lowering said hopper when said stop is lowcred.

4. In a tile making machine, the combination of the frame work, a vertical shaft mounted thereon, a former fixed to the lower end of said shaft for operating in a suitable mold, means for rotating said shaft, :1 stop carried by said shaft. means operatively connected to said stop for reciprocating said shaft, a vertically reciprocal hopper for guiding the material in the mold, a pair of 1 brackets arranged diametrically opposite on said hopper, a pair of vertical rods carried by the frame-work and extending through said brackets, coil springs encircling said rods. a yoke resting upon the stop carried by the said shaft. in aims of connecting the hopper with the said yoke whereby upon the upward stroke of the shaft the hopper will be raised and the said coil springs adapted to lower the said hopper when the stop is lowered.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

- \VILLIAM J. McCRACKlCN. Witnesses:

C. T. McCmx'rooK, T nos. P. Grrxo'r.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patento, Washington, I). C. 

